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British Council hunts design entrepreneurs

The British Council is launching a UK Young Design Entrepreneur award.

The scheme will be a counterpart to the organisation’s existing International Young Design Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which launched in 2005 with the aim of introducing creative entrepreneurs from emerging economies to the UK design industry.

The UK scheme will be open to creative entrepreneurs working in the fields of architecture, design promotion, graphic design, interior design, product design and digital media throughout the UK.

The aim is to bring their talent and expertise to nascent markets overseas, and help catalyse commercial opportunities.

Three UK design entrepreneurs will take part in a two-week tour of the Indian design industry, as part of plans for this year’s winners.

The overall winner and two runners-up will visit India in early 2009, to find out about India’s design industry from the National Institute of Design in Ahmedebad.

‘It’s really about creating a relationship and synergy everywhere, so a UK scheme is a natural counterpart to the international award. The idea is to introduce young entrepreneurs to new markets overseas, so India won’t be the focus every year. It’s a two-way sharing of knowledge and opportunity,’ says British Council head of architecture and design Emily Campbell.

The group will meet leading industry figures and their peers from the Indian design sector, and learn first hand about the dynamics of the sector and how business is done there, according to Campbell.

The UK design award follows last year’s launch of an equivalent for the publishing sector, and a music awards scheme launched in June this year.

Both the UK and international schemes will culminate in a joint awards ceremony at trade show 100% Design at London’s Earl’s Court on the 19 September.

Applications are now open and the deadline for submissions is Thursday 14 August.